Vocabulary

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10-dos-and-donts-for-teaching-vocabulary-in-any-content-area-fi.jpg
Let's begin with the six-step process (Marzano, 2004) as a strategy for teaching vocabulary:
  1. Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
  2. Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
  3. Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation of the term.
  4. Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
  5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
  6. Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play with terms.


Vocabulary cards with visuals are great for interactive activities.

vocab picture.png

Word wall ideas
Word Walls 2010.pdf
WORD WALL IDEAS.pdf
Kindergarten cards
Vocabulary_Cards_Kindergarten.pdf
1st grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_1st_Grade_A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_1st_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
2nd grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_2nd_Grade_A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_2nd_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
3rd grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_3rd_Grade_A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_3rd_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
4th grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_4th_Grade_A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_4th_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
5th grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_5th_Grade_A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_5th_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
6th grade cards
Vocabulary_Cards_6th_Grade__A_thru_L.pdf
Vocabulary_Cards_6th_Grade_M_thru_Z.pdf
Here's what the research says:
  • When students copy the teacher's explanation or description of a term instead of generating their own explanation, the results are not as strong. Ideally, student explanations should come from their own lives.
  • The third step in the process is crucial—having students represent their understanding of a new term by drawing a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation. When students do this step well, achievement soars.
  • Games seem to engage students at a high level and have a powerful effect on students' recall of the terms. Games not only add a bit of fun to the teaching and learning process, but also provide an opportunity to review the terms in a nonthreatening way. After the class has played a vocabulary game, the teacher should invite students to identify difficult terms and go over the crucial aspects of those terms in a whole-class discussion.

The Frayer Model is another strategy that uses a graphic organizer for building vocabulary across content areas.
Students use this organizer to
(1) define the target vocabulary words or concepts
(2) apply this information by generating examples and non-examples.
This information is placed on a chart that is divided into four sections to provide a visual representation for students.

Here's a sample math vocabulary organizer.
image005.png

Blank organizer for vocabulary
frayer.pdf


To read more about Marzano 6-step process
Six_Step_Process.pdf
List-of-Tier-2-and-Tier-3-Terms-for-ELA-and-Math.pdf


From Marzano, Robert J. "The Art and Science of Teaching / Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction." Educational Leadership. 67.1 (2009).83-84.
http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept09/vol67/num01/Six-Steps-to-Better-Vocabulary-Instruction.aspx